It's appropriate for me to start things off by saying that I personally try not to be too critical of any team's draft choices. Of course, there is tons of information and opinions on the talent and upside of each of these prospects. However, projecting who these players will become is not an exact science nor a certainty. A true analysis of how a team drafts cannot be executed until some time has passed and each prospect has time to develop.

With that being said, I certainly have some thoughts on how the 2021 NHL Entry Draft panned out for the Calgary Flames. Some of my thoughts are regarding the selections made, but I want to touch on something else.

1. Let us start with the "something else." Throughout the weekend, we witnessed tons of movement among teams looking to improve their fortunes for the season ahead. One team that stands out is the Philadelphia Flyers. After a disaster of a 2020-21 campaign, it is clear that Chuck Fletcher is doing whatever it takes to change the tides of the franchise.

The same cannot be said for the Flames and General Manager Brad Treliving. Similar to the Flyers, Calgary suffered through a disappointing 2020-21 season as well. Unlike the Flyers, the Flames were incredibly quiet, only acquiring Tyler Pitlick before the eventful weekend.

Now I understand that not every team needed to be active in the trade market this weekend. However, I do not think the Flames fall into that category. A call for change has been gaining traction for a few years, with last season's results proving the organization needed to shake things up. Though numerous Flames circulated the rumor mill, the roster looks eerily similar thus far, aside from the loss of Mark Giordano. It is safe to say that Trelving still has his work cut out for him. If he chooses the path of complacency, it will be a challenge to convince others that results next season will differ from last year.

2. Okay, let's move on to the actual draft picks. Matt Coronato is not necessarily the choice I would have went with at pick 13. However, I still like the player a great deal. Having the opportunity to follow the USHL quite closely last season, Coronato stood out as arguably the most exciting player in the entire league. He is an electrifying scorer and playmaker that never takes a shift off. Coronato is not a player to hang back and wait for something to materialize. He's always engaged and battles for every inch of ice.

As is the case with most high-scoring prospects, my worry with Coronato is whether the assets that made him a top-15 pick will translate to the next level. He certainly has the work ethic and aggressive mentality to ensure he will do whatever it takes to make it so. Obviously, one key piece of evidence will be how he performs at Harvard next season. Yes, there will be a transitional period, but Coronato needs to make an impact in year one for the program.

As of now, I imagine Coronato playing two collegiate seasons simply because I like to err on the side of caution. If he does indeed meet his full potential, we are looking at a future top-six winger in Calgary.

3. I am a big fan of Calgary's decision to select William Stromgren in the second round. A big-body winger, he is an intelligent hockey mind with quick and powerful skating ability. What I like most is his shoot-first mentality. Obviously, every team needs a player or two whose first instinct is to score goals. If everything goes as planned, Stromgren could materialize into that type of player down the road.

4. Feel free to yell at me, but I do not know a ton about Calgary's picks beyond the second-round. I watched a little bit of Cam Whynot play in Halifax and liked what I saw. Still, I'd be playing you all for fools if I pretend I had a strong grasp on his overall capabilities.

Looking at the overall draft, I do feel like Treliving did a decent job addressing all positions. One thing I would have liked to see is him grab a right-shot defenseman somewhere. Whynot and Cole Jordan are both left-shot defensemen, and Calgary neglected to address an area lacking depth in their prospect pool.

At the end of the day, Calgary still picked up two exciting pieces in Coronato and Stromgren. Now it is time to shift our attention to free agency, an area Treliving really needs to knock out of the park.

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